Side action vertical ratchet dispenser with reversible trigger

Abstract

A dispenser has a main hollow housing with side walls, a base and an open top which is at least partially open for dispensing material. A vertical support column is slidably mounted within the housing with horizontal ratchets and a push plate on top. A trigger component within the main hollow housing is movably connected to the housing and to the horizontal ratchets, and has an advancer arm, an opposing retractor arm and a flexible spring. The trigger component acts as a trigger, a ratcheting member and a spring and is strategically positioned in a swingable manner such that it may be rotated inwardly and released outwardly to cause advancement or retraction of the vertical support column.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A dispenser, comprising: (a) a main hollow housing having sidewalls, a base and a top which is at least partially open for dispensing material therethrough;   (b) a vertical support column having horizontal ratchets thereon, said vertical support column being vertically slidable mounted within said main hollow housing;   (c) a push plate located at a top of said vertical support column; and,   (d) a trigger component movably connected to said main hollow housing and to the horizontal ratchets of said vertical support column, said trigger component having an advancer arm, a retractor arm situated opposite said advancer arm, and a flexible spring section extending generally vertically from said advancer arm and maintaining said trigger component in a rest position when said trigger component is not actuated, said trigger component being rotatably and recyclably movable between a first position and a second position such that when said trigger component is moved from said first position to said second position, it moves said vertical support column upwardly one ratchet length, and when said trigger component is moved from said second position to said first position, said advancer arm of said trigger component retreats to a next lower horizontal ratchet of said vertical support column, and said trigger component further being rotatably and recyclably movable between a third position and a fourth position such that when said trigger component is moved from said third position to said fourth position, it moves said vertical support column downwardly one ratchet length, and when said trigger component is moved from said fourth position to said third position, said retractor arm of said trigger component returns to a next upper horizontal ratchet of said vertical support column.   
     
     
       2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said top of said housing is open sufficiently to dispense a cake material and said push plate includes means for holding a portion of a cake material therein. 
     
     
       3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said sidewalls of said housing has a plurality of U-shaped pockets so as to receive and hold a corresponding plurality of cylindrical protrusions located on said trigger component. 
     
     
       4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said trigger component is unistructurally molded of one single, semi-flexible component. 
     
     
       5. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein said trigger component is unistructurally molded of one single, semi-flexible component. 
     
     
       6. The dispenser of claim 5 wherein said flexible spring section acts as a spring tensioned by a plurality of tension walls extending perpendicularly from said base of said housing. 
     
     
       7. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein said main hollow housing includes guide columns having extended lip portions for frictionally engaging a plurality of protrusions disposed on said vertical support column. 
     
     
       8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein said trigger component has a trigger lever, said trigger lever having an advancer activation area for forcing said trigger component inwardly and upwardly to advance said vertical support column and a retractor activation area for forcing said trigger component inwardly and downwardly for pulling back said vertical support column. 
     
     
       9. The device of claim 8, wherein said advancer activation area and said retractor activation area each have a plurality of indicia for aid in triggering the dispenser. 
     
     
       10. The dispenser of claim 9 wherein said trigger component is unistructurally molded of one single, semi-flexible component. 
     
     
       11. A dispenser, comprising: (a) a main hollow housing having sidewalls, a base and a top which is sufficiently open for dispensing material therethrough;   (b) a vertical support column having horizontal ratchets thereon, said vertical support column being vertically slidable mounted within said main hollow housing;   (c) a push plate located at a top of said vertical support column;   (d) means for movably connecting a trigger component to said main hollow housing and to said horizontal ratchets of said vertical support column; and   (e) a trigger component having an advancer arm, a retractor arm situated opposite said advancer arm, and a flexible spring section extending generally vertically from said advancer arm and maintaining said trigger component in a rest position when said trigger component is not actuated, said trigger component being rotatably and recyclably movable between a first position and a second position such that when said trigger component is moved from said first position to said second position, it moves said vertical support column upwardly one ratchet length, and when said trigger component is moved from said second position to said first position, said advancer arm of said trigger component retreats to a next lower horizontal ratchet of said vertical support column, and said trigger component further being rotatably and recyclably movable between a third position and a fourth position such that when said trigger component is moved from said third position to said fourth position, it moves said vertical support column downwardly one ratchet length, and when said trigger component is moved from said fourth position to said third position, said retractor arm of said trigger component returns to a next upper horizontal ratchet of said vertical support column.   
     
     
       12. The dispenser of claim 11 wherein said top which is sufficiently open for dispensing material therethrough dispenses a cake material and said push plate includes means for holding a portion of a cake material therein. 
     
     
       13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein said means for movably connecting includes a plurality of U-shaped pockets on said sidewalls of said main hollow housing which receive and hold a corresponding plurality of cylindrical protrusions located on said trigger component. 
     
     
       14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein said main hollow housing includes guide columns having extended lip portions which frictionally engage a plurality of protrusions disposed on said vertical support column. 
     
     
       15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein said trigger component has a trigger lever, said trigger lever having an advancer activation area for forcing said trigger component inwardly and upwardly to advance said vertical support column and a retractor activation area for forcing said trigger component inwardly and downwardly for pulling back said vertical support column. 
     
     
       16. The dispenser of claim 15 wherein said flexible spring section acts as a spring tensioned by a plurality of tension walls extending perpendicularly from said base of said housing. 
     
     
       17. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein said trigger component is unistructurally molded of one single, semi-flexible component. 
     
     
       18. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein said main hollow housing includes guide columns having extended lip portions which frictionally engage a plurality of protrusions disposed on said vertical support column. 
     
     
       19. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein said trigger component has a trigger lever, said trigger lever having an advancer activation area for forcing said trigger component inwardly and upwardly to advance said vertical support column and a retractor activation area for forcing said trigger component inwardly and downwardly for pulling back said vertical support column. 
     
     
       20. The dispenser of claim 11 wherein said trigger component is unistructurally molded of one single, semi-flexible component.